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Building the Canine-Human Connection
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What makes one dog trainer different from another you ask? I
mean, they all do essentially the same thing, right? We all handle dogs, sure, but the actual methods used in dog training
and behavior modification has changed greatly over the years. Back in the day, dogs were used for a more sentry and military
function, trained in a traditional, military style often using physical punishment to achieve results. Nowadays, they
live in our homes as part of our families, and have traded in the battle field for tennis balls and the living room sofa.
Just as our relationships with dogs have grown, so have our interests in how they truely learn. While some still opt for more
traditional, physical methods of "correcting" dogs, there have been amazing advances in the scientific studies of
animal cognition, showing that positive reinforcement methods not only improve learning and comprehension, but also strengthen
the bond between dog and owner. And after all, they are "man's best friend", right?
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The "Why", not the "What"
Smart Paws approaches training and behavior modification
of problem behaviors by focusing the "why" of the behavior rather than the "what". What this means is,
rather than punishing the unwanted behavior simply because we humans don't like it, we focus on why the behavior is occuring
and remove what is reinforcing your dog's behavior. Not only does this communicate a much clearer message to your dog, but
it eliminates the potential for developing anxiety and other side-effects. Does this mean we don't believe in punishment?
Absolutely not. But, it does mean that we believe punishment does not have to be physical, painful, or intimidating,
and should instead be relevent to the behavior and work to remove the frequency of the behavior rather than just supressing
it.